Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

Other children coughed <strong>and</strong> had sore throats, runny
noses, <strong>and</strong> insomnia. They surely had the flu. I had none of
those symptoms. Instead, I had a dreadful headache, <strong>and</strong> an
intermittent high fever. Some people thought I was feigning
illness, but Father knew otherwise because he could feel the
heat from my feverish body when we slept together.
My village was far from the township town <strong>and</strong> Father
carried me most of the way. I could only walk a little. We went
to the local clinic, where the doctors <strong>and</strong> Father knew each
other, so they treated us kindly. A doctor asked, "Where do you
hurt?"
I just indicated my head, which made them laugh.
"I know you have a headache. Show me the part of your
head that hurts," said the doctor with a gentle smile.
I did not know where, so I showed him my whole head.
Father asked, "Where do you have pain? Tell me, <strong>and</strong> I
will tell the doctor."
I did the same thing to Father.
Not knowing what else to do, the doctor took my pulse
<strong>and</strong> said, "Don't worry. He'll be fine soon. He has a cold that
causes headache <strong>and</strong> fever." The doctor then gave Father some
medicine <strong>and</strong> we left the clinic. On the way home, we
unexpectedly encountered Monk Wodzer, with whom we had
lost contact since the day Mother returned home.
"Why didn't you bring your son to me? Do you think I'm
not good enough?" asked Monk Wodzer with unfathomable
duplicity. It was hard to figure out what he meant, because he
had not been able to cure Mother. Now he seemed concerned,
which surprised me.
"You are good enough, but I thought you would be busy,
so I went straight to the other doctors," replied Father.
Monk Wodzer then pronounced, shocking me from the
bottom of my heart, "Medicine will not be effective in curing
your son's illness. He must become a monk or he will die soon."
Father said incredulously, "You said the same thing
about my oldest son, <strong>and</strong> now you say it's this one's turn to
become a monk? Ahke, do you mean he'll die if he doesn't
become a monk?"
"Definitely. Have I ever lied to you? Decide for
yourself. I'm not forcing you," said Monk Wodzer, who seemed
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